Laws & treaties

Expedited emergency game & fish rules

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is authorized by law to establish game, fish and general natural resource protection regulations. The most common ways of making these rules are the permanent rule process and the expedited emergency rule process.

The permanent rule-making process includes an opportunity for public comment and provides for public hearings on controversial rules.

Permanent rules can be temporarily amended by emergency rules or permanently amended by a new permanent rule.

Exempt rules are a type of permanent rule that follow a shortened process for making a rule (i.e., public comment and public hearings are not as extensive).

Expedited emergency rule process

The expedited emergency rule-making process allows rules to bypass the public comment and public hearings used in making permanent rules.

Emergency rules are made for short-term regulatory needs, such as season settings and season quotas.

Emergency rules are not permanent; they temporarily amend permanent rules or other emergency rules.

Emergency rules are effective for the time period specified in the rule or for 18 months if no time period is specified.

When an emergency rule expires, the preexisting permanent rule is once more in effect; if there is no preexisting permanent rule, the regulatory provision ceases to exist.

Reading the emergency game and fish rulesThe emergency game and fish rules are available here, but we strongly recommend you read the permanent rules and statutes as well. Only by reading the permanent and emergency rules together is the full effect of the rules clear.

The permanent rules, statutes and new laws ("session laws") related to natural resource are available at the Minnesota State Legislature Web site.

Once you've found and read the permanent rule or statute in which you are interested, take a look at the related emergency rule. The emergency rules usually have the same numbers as the rules and statutes. Check the effective dates of the emergency rule.